In your personal statement, you should demonstrate suitable evidence of the following:

Relevant work experience: what have you done to establish that medicine is the right career path for you? This does not necessarily mean shadowing a doctor but any experience within a healthcare setting where applicants can gain an insight into the realities of modern healthcare and their own ability to work with and care for vulnerable people. Please see the Medical Schools Council website for advice and guidance.

Insight into a medical career: what did you learn about being a doctor and about your own suitability for a medical career from your work and voluntary experiences?

An understanding of the NHS constitution and core values: what do you know about the values that should underpin everything the NHS does? What have you learned from your work and voluntary experiences that could illustrate why these values are important? What experiences could you discuss to demonstrate that you share these values? More information about the NHS Constitution and Core Values can be found on the NHS website.

A commitment to society: when have you given up your time for the benefit of others? This might include examples of voluntary work or significant caring roles. You should provide details of the level of commitment demanded by these roles, the skills developed and their relevance to a medical career.

Effective written communication skills: a coherent, well-structured personal statement that conveys a real impression of you

For further guidance from Lancaster Medical School about work experience, please see our leaflet.